Fountain-pen



Patented Apr. 18, |899.

A. A. HGFMANN.

FOUNTAIN PEN.

(Application led Feb. 15, 1898.)

We Model.)

/NVENTOH AJfW-m/ ilnirnarnet FOUNTAIN-PEN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,474, dated April18, 1899.

Application tiled February 15, 1898. Serial No. 670,395. (No model.)

To all whom t ntay concern:

Be it known that l, ALBERT A. HOFMANN, residing at Bloomington, in thecounty of Mc.-

Lean and State of Illinois, have invented a.

new and Improved Fountain-Pen, of which the following is aspecification.

In the use of the ordinary forms of fountain-pensmore or less annoyanceis experienced in determining when the ink in the fount is entirely orabout exhausted.

rlhe object of this invention is to provide the ordinary forms offountain-pens now in general use with means whereby the quantity ot' inkcan be instantly ascertained, which means are of such character as notto increase the cost of manufacture of such pens nor render Ihem in anyway less effective in their use.

The invention embodies certain features'of construction and arrangementof parts, such as will be rst described in detail and thenspeeilicallypointed outin the appendedclaim,ief erence being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of myimproved fountain-pen. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same.Fig. 22L is an enlarged detail sectional View taken longitudinally ofthe fountain-pen and illustrating the manner of mounting the transparentmembers. Fig. is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. l. l

By referring to the drawings, in which like numerals indicate like partsin the several figures, l indicates the fount or holder, 2 thescrew-cap, and 3 the valve or feed-stem, all of which in their generalarrangement and operation may be of any approved and wellknownconstruction.

The fount or holder in the present form of pen has one or more slits oropenings 2a, which may extend a part or the full length of the fount. Inthese openings are tted members 4 of glass, mica, or other transparentmaterial, in practice preferably one-eighth of an inch wide.

To provide a simple and economical construction of the holder, the slots2 are extended through the lower end of the fount or holder l and havegrooves in the edges and the upper end,formin g slideways for thetransparent members 4, which snugly fit such ways and are heldfluid-tight by packing-strips, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. y

By extending the openings 2 through the lower end of the holder it ismanifest the transparent slides and packing members can be readilyslipped in place and the slides held fluid-tight by the friction of thesaid packingstrips, it being also understood that the feedstem 3 whenscrewed home serves as a positive lock to prevent the members 4 fromdropping out ofthe openings 2, and it is provided with an annularshoulder which abuts against the end of the fount or holder and theouter end of the said members 4. By this construction the transparentmembers 4 are detaehably secured in the grooves of the fount or holder.

While I'have shown in the drawings the fount-body formed with a numberof slits and pockets, it is manifest such body need have but one slit,and while I prefer to extend the slits the full length of the fount-bodythey need not extend the entire length, but up a suitable distance fromthe pen or feed end to admit of readily determining when the fluid is-about exhausted from the fount.

I am aware that a writing device formed of a glass body has beenprovided, in which fluid is'always in view. This form of writing deviceis, however, no substantial substitute for a fountain-pen, which must ofnecessity withstand rough usage and be made of a material which will notreadily break in handling-or falling onto a solid body.

My invention is especially applicable to fountain-pens in which thefount is made of metal or hard rubber and non-transparent, and its mainpurpose is to provide a fountbody of this character with a simple andinexpensive means for always bringing in view the contents of the fountwithout increasing the cost of the ordinary forms of founts or affectingtheir strength or durability.

The transparent pockets are to be so attached to the fount as to formpractically a part thereof and are not in the nature of independentgage-glasses.

IOO

Having thus described n1yinVention,What (end of the said fount, and thefeed-stem I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat- I mounted on thefount and having a shoulder ent, is I abutting against the front end ofthe fount In a fountain-pen, the combination of a andthe outerendoftransparentmemberand I5 5 fount, having a longitudinal slit extendingdetaehably securing the latter in the former,

inward from its front end and provided with substantially as described.longitudinal grooves in its side and end Walls, 1

v Y 4 1 Y l T. the transparent member 4, fitted 1n lthe ALBERT A HOFMALBgrooves ofthe fonnt and having,r its side and lVitnesses: ro inner endedges fitting against the walls of E. BROCK,

the slit, its outerend being flush with the front ELECTA FENSTEMAKER.

